Crystal Springs Resort

I sell hotdogs.”

That is the expression I often use when I feel that the hospitality industry and the people who work in it are looked down upon. It speaks volumes to the uninitiated as to the base nature of what they think we do. 

However, for those who have a more curious mind and ask the right questions, there is a far more robust answer. To that end, I often feel compelled to defend the industry as a whole and the great people who make it happen every day.

The whole truth of the matter is far too grand for me to describe in a random stream of thought post, but I will try to be succinct. 

I work with people of every background who accomplish so much daily that I am often in awe of exactly how on Earth we just pulled this off.

Amazing coordinators who need to extract from clients their vision of a perfect event, even when they often have no idea what exactly that looks like, not even to themselves. Everything from the basic schedule and hourly (frankly, minutely) timing of the days leading up to and the events themselves. Color schemes, music choices, food choices, linens, hair and makeup, elaborate audio video setups, specialty cocktails made from obscure liquors (maybe not available in the state or even country) and every other seemingly minuscule detail that somehow, if even one isn't perfect, may “ruin the entire event!”

Managers who need to schedule and coordinate the hundreds of personnel, who will, in fact, execute this high-wire act with poise and elegance. The people, who will, in fact, make these special requests possible and bring this vision to life.

When asked what I do in the hospitality industry, it is easier to just respond, ‘I sell hotdogs.’ But for a more curious mind asking the right questions, there is a far more robust answer.

Talented kitchen staff who work long, hot hours on nights, weekends and holidays to prepare food as elegantly and deliciously as possible. All the while, they are following strict safety and food handling protocols and tackling a myriad of special requests, food allergies and dietary restrictions, while battling against a never-stopping clock.

Front of the house staff who navigate tricky customers who, despite the age-old adage, “are not always right.” But they strive tirelessly to make every guest experience special and successful, and do so while representing their respective establishments with pleasantries and hospitality even in the face of occasional rudeness or disrespect. All while getting their 15,000 steps in a matter of a couple of hours.

None of this speaks to the myriad of additional positions that include marketing and sales people who get the guests to come, finance who makes sense of it all financially, AV techs and designers who make rooms look magical, engineering folks who keep the place running, custodial staff responsible for keeping it all fresh and clean and sanitized, purchasers and receivers who need to procure and safely store the precious raw commodities that become deliciousness on the plates and in the glasses, and many more roles I am certain I am missing but know that I need!

But when asked what I do, it is easier to just respond, “I sell hotdogs.”.